//EDIT: After Playing around with Apps and doing more extensive research, i modified the review on 05.06.2024
//EDIT: Updated to reflect the newest Update on 10.06.2024
=== About the Smartphone as a Phone ===
After verifying the Smartphone in Stock mode and testing in Stock mode i did the following adjustments which improved the usability a lot
First of all i installed F-Droid and with F-Droid the KISS Launcher (the best Android Launcher anyway). I then uninstalled as much applications as possible from the phone including the crappy Browser and app store and replaced the Browser with Firefox and the App Store with Aurora.
I heard you can also install the Google Play Store somehow, but who wants that. Aurora is 100% OpenSource and you can login to the Play Store either anonymous or with your Google Account (to get access to paid applications). It is also faster, has an simpler/cleaner interface and supports whitelists/blacklists so it doesn't mess around with applications that are available in F-Droid. Its basically the Play Store but better.
Thanks to the KISS Launcher, I have a better battery life and its also faster than with the stock luncher, giving me a usable search and cleaner Interface. I also like the wallpaper =)
After that, it just works. Its an average Smartphone. For the price, it is surprisingly fast and the display is surprisingly good.
Even though enabling the GMS, some apps complain about lacking Google Service, especially Google Wallet which can't be used. Thats bummer. But most of the time it works as expected and there are a lot of Workarounds for NFC Payment in Japan.
It would be cool (especially when there is no Google enabled by default) when F-Droid and Aurora would come pre-installed. They are both OpenSource so i see no reason to not do that. But they can be installed in a matter of seconds.
Since the latest update, you now always see the current volume level
=== About the Sound ===
The MIAD01 is almost dead neutral. It very very slowly rolls off (The difference between 1kHz and 17 is -0.1db) but i consider that pretty much inaudible.
The sound is just as it should be. You can not select the Filter, but the pre-selected filter is Sharp-Roll Off as it seems (which is good and how it should be. No need for any other filter).
The 3.5mm is okayish, the 4.4mm is excellent. Absolutely superb and good enough to replace an DAP without worries. Yes, we've come that far.
Moondrop delivers some DSP effects, two to be exact. VSDF+ and Tube (below the measurements in this order)
Just ignore them and they will ignore you. And don't use any EQ either. Just use Headphone/Earphone that sound good and you will be fine.
Not every app can use the SRC bypass currently, i tested with FiiO Music and it works as expected.
So in terms of sound, it is insanely neutral. If you like dead neutral, like i do, this is your phone. It has no coloration or tuning, and that is good exactly that way.
If not, the last update added an very good EQ that also comes with a lot of preinstalled profiles. I don't use them, I don't test them, but for those who like them, they are there
=== Summary ===
As a Smartphone, its a 4/5, as a DAP its a 5/5 in terms of sound and a 4/5 in terms of DAP Features (no Gain Switch, no DAC Mode)
I use it as my daily driver and my main phone and surprisingly started to like it quite a lot as a phone. The 4.4mm is, of course, an very nice addition and the reason to buy it in the first place
=== Bonus ===
As i get this Software quite recently from People who never used an Google Free Phone, i want to give some advice on how to use the Phone (in an even better way), if you don't want to install all the Google Apps.
- F-Droid
- App Store that only contains Open Source Software
- Every Software i mention from here on can be installed from this store
- Get it from https://f-droid.org/ and update it after installing
- ffupdater
- As Mozilla does not provide an repository for its own Software, ffupdater is exactly that. You install it via F-Droid and get access to all products from mozilla with updates as fast as absolutely possible (almost the second they get released).
- Aurora
- OpenSource App Store that contains no packages, but accesses the Google Play Store directly. You can use your Google Account to get access to applications you paid or just use an anonymous account. 100% unmodified straight out of Google Play Apps in an very simple, clean, adfree, fast(!), OpenSource Interface with support for Blacklists in case an App exists in other stores too (Like Firefox or AnkiDroid) and you don't want the Google Play Version
- KISS
- My Default Launcher (and the best one). I use the compact mode, remove all favorites and set the up-swipe gesture to open the app list
- Allows you to hide those uninstallable bloatware
- Configurable Search
- Even though its insanely simple, tiny and fast, it has tons of features. Just look for yourself.
- Firefox
- Can be installed directly via F-Droid (Fennec) or ffupdater. Supports Plugins like DarkMode Viewer and external Passwort Manager
- Nextcloud
- As i don't use the Google Cloud
- Nextcloud File
- Nextcloud Passwords
- Nextcloud Notes
- osmand
- Best App for OpenStreetMaps. Offline Vector Map support, Nautical Apps, everything you can imagine. It doesn't get better than this
- AnkiDroid
- Best learning app that exists. I am pretty sure you know this
- Audio Recorder
- Cirrus
- Probably one of the best Weather Apps at all. Just test it and see for yourself
- Element
- Most secure Messenger in the world
- Also has all important features like Video/Audio Chat, GIFs, Stickers and so on. Its an Messenger but better than what you might be used too
- Uses the [matrix] Protocol
- FreeOTP+
- For Multi Factor Authentication
- K-9 Mail
- Best Mail Client out there
- Can be installed from F-Droid or ffupdater
- KDE Connect
- If you use Linux/KDE, you can remotely control your PC and/or your phone. Get notifications on both, can write Messages, see the battery, find the phone, shared clipboard and so on
- Also works with GNOME (Surprisingly)
- mpv
- The, by far, best Video Player that exists on this planet
- You used VLC until now? Well stop using it. You're an Audiophile right? So give Videos the same Treatment you give your Audio
- Its an port from the Desktop Version with almost all features
- It is highly recommend to enable the "Use gpu-next" feature which has better support for HDR and is better in general. Its in the advanced settings
- Add the following to your mpv.conf in the same settings screen when you plan to watch HDR Videos
- MTG Familiar
- I play MTG
there is no other reason for this app
- NewPipe
- Its YouTube without Ads. You can export your data from Google and import it in NewPipe
- Needs no Google Account, works just like that
- It has much more settings than the original YouTube app and gives you lot of features you never seen before
- Has a real Download feature that downloads files onto your storage
- Orion Viewer
- PDF Viewer. There is also Okular which i prefer, but is broken in the current Version. Waiting for an Update. But Orion is surprisingly good
- Don't look up on Wikipedia how the Mythological creature Orion was created.
- whoBIRD
- Detects birds by their sound
- Works offline!
- Fossify Gallery
- Fossify File Manager
This should give you an rough overview and a good start to use your phone without Google. Feel free to explore the F-Droid Store on your own and if there is a App that is only available from the PlayStore, there is Aurora for you =)
Have fun enjoying your MIAD01
